Removable venetian blind slat



1958 R. s. YEATS 2,820,512

REMOVABLE VENETIAN BLIND SLAT Filed Nov. 16, 1955 7 915 hwvEm'on B05122"? alais ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent Cfifice 2,820,512 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 2,820,512 REMOVABLE VENETIAN BLIND SLAT Robert S. Yeats, San Diego, Calif. Application November 16, 1955, Serial No. 547,290 Claims. (Cl. 160-173) T nvention relates to an improved construction of his i slat for Venetian blinds and Venetian blind equipped withthe improved slat, said view being fragmentary and om a top rail, not shown, lbIlC tapes 11 and 12 lClS of the front tapes ont edge of the bar pes 12 are suitably secured to the back edge of the 11 and 12 have slat supporting cross tapes 14 extending therebetween and secured thereto. The supporting tapes 14 are relatively narrow as compared to the tapes 11 and and are disposed in staggered relation, as seen in Figure 1, so that the cords 13 extend upwardly between pose which will hereinafter become apparent.

Only two of the slats are illustrated in Figure 1. Tnese slats, each designated generally 15, are of identical con- Venetian blind are of the same construcslats as shown. Each of the slats 15 is formed of very thin metal which is capable of being readily flexed, as is conventional for Venetian blinds, and said slats are bowed transversely, as illustrated in Figure 3, as is likewise conventional. However, the slats 15 diifer from conventional metal Venetian blind slats in reference to the construction of which are identical, so that a description of one will suffice for both. Each end of each slat 15 is provided with ing slats of the tion as the two toward the other longitudinal edge 20, which constitutes the front edge of the slat as it is mounted in the Venetian blind in Figures 1 and 2. This constitutes an important feature since, as will be readily apparent, the slats 15 may be reversed end for end and the shear lines 18 will still be disposed exactly correctly in the Venetian blind as long as face faces upwardly.

As best seen in Figure 2, the shear edge faces which abut to form the shear line 18 have outer end portions and as best illustrated in Figure 2, that the throats 21 and 22 of each slat end portion are laterally offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the slat and on opposite sides thereof.

When the slats 15 are disposed in the Venetian blind, as illustrated in Figure 2 and by the bottom slat in Figure l, the cords 13 will normally extend upwardly through the central portions of the slots 16 and will be will be understood that all of the remainwhich is remote from the throat 22 thereof, will approach the other cord 13. However, as the edges defining each shear line 18 are disposed in abutting engagement, action of the wind or even rough handling of the Venetian blind will not result in the slats becoming disengaged from the cords 13'. However, the slats may be readily disengaged and removed from the Venetian blind. This can be accomplished as illustrated in Figure 1 by grasping a slat near the left hand end thereof, for example, and bending the left hand slat end upwardly slightly and at the same time elevating the back r9 of said slat end. This will cause the left hand cord 13 to be positioned at the throat 22 of the left end of the slat and will also cause the slat portion 23 to be deflected downwardly relative to the slat portion 2 t, which is deflected upwardly. Said slat portions 23 .24 disposed on opposite sides of the shear line 13 and have edges 23a and 24a, respectively, which in the normal position of the slat are disposed in abutting engagement to form the shear line 13. Said normally abutting edges 23a and 24a are displaced vertically away from one another when the portions 23 and 24 are deflected in opposite directions to define a gap therebetwcen through which the left hand cord 13 can readily pass from the throat 22, outwardly through the outer throat 21, to thus release the left hand slat end from the cord. The downward deflection of the slat portion 23 is partially accomplished by pressure of the cord 13 thereagainst when said cord is initially lodged in the inner throat 22..

The slat can he disengaged in a like manner from the other right hand cord 13 by a similar action, executed by grasping the slat with the other, left hand, near the right hand end of the slat, and tilting the slat in the opposite direction or so that its front edge 1th will be elevated and so that the right hand inner throat 22 will be positioned in engagement with the right hand cord 13 and the other right hand end portion will thus be deflected downwardly, in the same manner as previously described. to form a gap or slot at the right hand shear line ll? through which the right hand cord may pass to complete disengagement of the slat 15 from the Venetian blind.

Similarly to apply the slat to the blind, one end of the slat is placed against one of the cords 13 so that the cord will be lodged in the outer throat 21 after which by canting or tilting the slat and applying pressure thereto against the cord, said cord will press downwardly on, the portion 23 for displacing the shear edges 23:: and Z ta apart so that the cord may be passed therebetwecn into the slot 16. Thcreafte the other cord is caused to pass in the same manner between the other complementary edges 23%; and 240. into the other slot 16 to complete the reapplying of the slat to the Venetian blind.

It will also be apparent that a group of adjacent slats maybe grasped simultaneously and removed in the same manner as heretofore described from a Venetian blind.

Figure 2 illustrates the adaptability of the slats 15 to Venetian blinds of the type used for wide windows which are equipped with three pairs of vertical tapes 11 and 12, only one end pair and the intermediate pair of which are illustrated in Figure 2. For such use, two sets of slats 15 are employed with the adjacent ends of the substantially coplanar disposed in overlapping relation and engaging the center elevating cord 13, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. With this arrangement, the slots 1.5 of the overlapping slat ends will be disposed in alignment and the shear lines thereof will be disposed substantially parallel and will extend in opposite directions from opposite or remote ends of the two slots 16. Said overlapping slat ends will be substantially concealed by theintermediate vertical tapes l1 and 12 between which said slat ends are disposed. As it will be apparent, the slats 15 in the Venetian blind arrangement as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 may be applied and removed individually in the same manner as previously described in reference to the slats 15 as disposed in the conventional Venetian blind arrangement of Figure 1.

Figure 2 also illustrates the adaptability of the slats 15 for use with Venetian blinds equipped with guide channels and rollers as is provided in certain windy localities. A bracket arm 25 is attached by fastenings 26 to the outer portion of. the part 23 and is supported thereby axially of said slat. A roller 27 is journalled on the outer end of the bracket arm 25 and engages in a guide channel 28 which is disposed vertically against and secured to an inwardly facing surface of a vertical side 29 of a window frame.

Figure 4 illustrates a slightly modified construction of a Venetian blind end, diifering from the ends of the Venetian blind 15 as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, only in that in lieu of the straight shear line 18, the Venetian blind end 3% of Figure 4 has a shear line 31 of sinuous shape. Figure 5 illustrates still another modified form of slat end portion diliering from the ends of the slat 15 only in that the shear line 33 at each end thereof is dis posed parallel to the axis of the slat.

Figure 6 illustrates a cut oil slat end 34 corresponding to either end of the slat 15, having a slot 161) corresponding to the slot 16 and a shear line 13b corresponding to the shear line 18. The adapter El -i is adapted to be secured by fastenings 35 to either side of an end portion of a conventional wooden slat 36, the end 37 of which is disposed in alignment with the axis of the slot 16b. Said end 37 is provided with an elongated notch 38 disposed beneath the inner longitudinal half of the slot 1612, so that said slot is completely exposed. it will be apparent that the slat 36 may be employed in the same manner as the slat 15 as shown in Figure l. The slat as may also be employed in the same manner as the slats 15 as shown in Figure 2 and when thus utilized, the intermediate adapters 34- may be arranged on opposite sides of the adjacent ends of the coplanar slats 36 so that the ends 37 of said slats may be disposed in abutting engagement between the two adapters 34.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A removable and replaceable Venetian blind slat having a slot adjacent each end thereof elongated in a direction crosswise of the slat, and each slat end portion having a shear line extending into an end portion of the slot of said slat end portion and opening outwardly of. the end of said slat, said shear line separating portions disposed on opposite sides thereof and which are capable of being flexed relative to one another away from sub stantially coplanar positions whereby normally abutting edges of said portions forming said shear line are displaced apart to define a gap therebetween through which an elevator cord of a Venetian blind is adapted to pass into or out of engagement with the slot of said slat end portion for connecting the slat end portion to the Venetian blind or for disconnecting it therefrom, the edges of said portions defining the shear line being normally disposed in abutting engagement for closing the slot thereof to prevent disengagement of each end portion of the slat from the elevator cord which extends through its slot, one of said shear line forming edges having a beveled inner end defining a flared throat opening into the slot and adapted to receive a portion of the cord to facilitate deflecting said slat portions in opposite directions out of coplanar positions to provide the gap through which the cord can be passed out of engagement with the slat, and each of the shear lines being disposed diagonally of the axis of the slat.

2. A Venetian blind slat as in claim 1, said shear line forming edge portions having outer ends flared away from one another to define a flared throat opening outwardly of an end of the slat and adapted to receive the elevator cord and for cooperation therewith for deflecting the slat portions separated by the shear line in opposite directions out of coplanar positions for movement of the cord through the gap therebetween into engagement with the slot.

3. A removable and replaceable Venetian blind slat a slot adjacent each end thereof elongated in a the end of said slat, said shear line separating portions disposed on opposite sides thereof and which are capable of being flexed relative to one another away from substantially coplanar positions whereby normally abutting edges of said portions forming said shear line are displaced apart to define a gap therebetween through which an elevator cord of a Venetian blind is adapted to pass into or out of engagement with the slot of said slat end portion for connecting the slat end portion to the Venetian blind or for disconnecting it therefrom, said shear lines being disposed substantially parallel to one another and extending diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the slat whereby a slat portion at each end of the slit constitutes an elongated tapered projection which is disposed substantially crosswise of the slat and is capable of being readily deflected away from a position coplanar with the slat.

4. In a removable and replaceable Venetian blind slat, said slat having a slot adjacent an end thereof elongated in a direction crosswise of the slat, said slat having a shear line extending into an end portion of the slot and opening outwardly of the end of the slat located adjacent said slot, said shear line being disposed diagonally of the axis of the slat and separating portions of the slat disposed on opposite sides thereof, said slat portions being capable of flexing relative to one another away from substantially coplanar positions whereby normally abutting edges of said portions forming the shear line are displaceable apart to define a gap therebetween through which an elevator cord of a Venetian blind is adapted to pass into or out of engagement with the slot for connecting said end of the slat to the Venetian blind or for disconnecting it therefrom, the edges of said portions forming the shear line being normally disposed in abutting engagement for closing the slot to prevent disengagement of the slat from the elevator cord, and one of said shear line forming edges having a beveled inner end defining a flared throat opening into the slot and adapted to receive a portion of the elevator cord to facilitate defleeting said slat portions out of coplanar positions to provide the gap through which the cord can be passed out of engagement with the slat.

5. In a removable and replaceable Venetian blind slat as in claim 4, wherein said shear line is generally sinuous in shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

